RPC Bulletin #50, March 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in March 2022. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Movement Strategy trial ending +++ Police acting on drivers speeding at evenings to reach gates +++ Slippery roads update +++ Road restrictions for deer cull and toad migration +++ RPC mentioned on Road.cc podcast +++

50 SENT

Hello, and welcome to a landmark edition – the 50th Richmond Park Cyclists bulletin! And in a pleasing coincidence, it comes at a watershed moment for the park.

When these monthly missives began in July 2017, the park was a very different place. Motorists could use all of the outer roadway seven days a week, and we were arguing in favour of Intelligent Road Charging to tackle the huge levels of through traffic that had been identified in The Royal Parks’ draft report earlier that year. Those findings led to the Movement Strategy, TRP’s bid to restrict motor vehicle access to the roads in Richmond Park and its seven other green spaces to make them more suited to walking and cycling  – and this month sees the conclusion of the resultant traffic trials, which were extended for an additional year.

It seems likely that the current temporary measures will become permanent. The restrictions have removed through traffic from three-fifths of the outer roadway – which would be good progress if they are officially made permanent by TRP’s trustees at a meeting this month (and if the announcement is made before our next bulletin, we will mail out an extra newsletter with the details). But as we have said for some time, the custodians of the park could and should go further by removing through traffic completely – sooner rather than later.

Significantly, there are stakeholders and other interested parties who, privately, share that conviction. Ending shortcut journeys through the park is an achievable goal, and it is the right thing to do. We are confident that the added value to the park would outweigh any harm caused by traffic displaced outside which does not evaporate. Moreover, in the context of the climate emergency and continuing concerns over public health and wellbeing, making a National Nature Reserve available to through traffic by car is perverse. And as the temporary removal of motor vehicles during the first lockdown showed, people who rarely or never cycle will take to the park’s roads if the number of cars within it is dramatically reduced – and they will enjoy a more peaceful atmosphere.

TRP – a publicly funded charity – should seize the initiative and make the change that the public needs. Some of its trustees will get to read this bulletin, and we are also reaching out to them directly. 

As we continue to argue for the removal of through traffic, the vision for the park that we set out during the final public consultation to the Movement Strategy will be our guide. The ideas it sets out include a shuttle bus to provide access to various areas of the park, bike docking stations and better public transport options to get there. The full text is now on our website – take a look.

CLOSING SPEED

The police are stopping speeding drivers who were racing to leave after closing time, which is another great move that builds on our feedback.

As mentioned in November’s bulletin, Sgt Sturgess and his officers agreed to target drivers disobeying the road closure signs following our request. That priority for the final three months of last year was extended for the current quarter and enlarged to include all driver behaviour. Then, in mid-January, a subscriber told us they had seen motorists speeding in the evenings to get to their exit before it was locked, which we subsequently asked the police to address – and clearly they are now doing so. Thank you, officers!

We also asked the park’s management to review the process of closing the gates at night so that fewer drivers race to get out – and they have told us they are meeting with their contractors to deal with the situation. 

In the meantime, here’s a brief word about closing time on Saturdays and Sundays. Those of you who have happened to be at Roehampton Gate after it has been locked for the night may have witnessed motorists driving around the barriers and heading to Richmond Gate. We saw this a couple of weeks ago and assumed it was simply another case of drivers ignoring the keep out signs. In fact, the police tell stragglers to do this, as it is safer and more expedient to funnel the remaining traffic up Sawyer’s Hill and out of Richmond Gate rather than make drivers do a U-turn at Roehampton Gate, or queue up there and wait for it to be reopened. So please bear this in mind if you’re in the park at chucking out time at the weekend.

SLIDE IMPROVEMENT

The hazard signs warning of slippery roads were still up at the Roehampton Gate roundabout at the time of writing – but they may not be for much longer. 

The day after our last bulletin came out, the park’s management scrubbed and hosed down the roads, which they believe experienced a higher than usual build-up of winter grime due to a long run of dry weather. There has also been rain since then – and reports of cyclists slipping off have decreased considerably. 

Nevertheless, we aren’t out of the woods yet, so moderate your speed on corners. If you are unlucky enough to come off, please tell the police and give as many details as possible, including photos. Their online portal is quick and easy to use – and if the roads are still slippy, the police can use reports to escalate the issue. 

OI – HOPPIT!

A quick word about two wildlife-related road closures that may affect your riding in and around the park. 

• The gates are still locked between 8pm and 7:30am due to the ongoing deer cull. Because it began on the final Monday in January, rather than the traditional first Monday in February, the process is due to end by Monday, March 14. But the actual date could be sooner or later, as the length of the cull depends on the health of the herd. If we learn of a firmer date, we will announce it on our social media (links at the foot of this email). And remember: if you arrive at any of the gates shortly before they are locked, you should not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. Our website has full details.

• The section of Church Road from the junction with Latchmere Lane to Ham Gate Avenue will be closed to all traffic between Monday, March 7 and Friday, April 1 due to the annual toad migration. Please enter the park via another route to avoid squishing our little green chums.

NOW HEAR THIS

On a final note, here is something for your listening pleasure. Our friend Tim Lennon from the Richmond Cycling Campaign mentioned us on the Road.cc podcast, while discussing the changes to the Highway Code, Richmond Park and a close pass in Ham Common involving his young daughter. Have a listen here (it starts at Tim’s segment of the podcast).

HERE’S TO THE NEXT 50 EDITIONS...

Thank you to everyone who has subscribed to these bulletins, whether you have just joined us or been a subscriber since the first edition almost five years ago. As ever, feel free to let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #49, February 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in February 2022. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Those Highway Code changes +++ Mystery of falls on roundabout explained +++ Plan for new barriers and crossings +++ Police figures for road incidents +++ Deer cull starts a week early +++ Update on court case of Broomfield Hill driver +++ Our meeting with park’s management

ROAD-MANTIC GESTURE

Mark Valentine’s Day in your diary – because that’s when the Government launches its drive to promote the much-discussed changes to the Highway Code. Hopefully, the modest £500,000 advertising campaign will counter the numerous unhelpful misinterpretations (rounded up in Cycling Weekly’s handy myth-buster) and begin the long process of changing driver behaviour.driver behaviour. For a summary of the eight key changes, see here.

The new wording in Rule 66 regarding cycling two abreast, which now explicitly states it is permitted and often safer, mirrors what we had already set out in the cycling Code of Conduct, and as such bolsters our advice to those who ride in groups and pairs in Richmond Park.

To refresh your memory, the proposed rule in the new Highway Code advised: 

“Ride in single file when drivers wish to overtake and it is safe to let them do so. When riding in larger groups on narrow lanes, it is sometimes safer to ride two abreast.”

In our joint representation with Cycling UK to the public consultation on the proposed changes to the Highway Code, we asked that Rule 66 should say:

“Cycling in groups no more than two abreast is permitted, safe and often assists drivers in presenting a shorter obstacle to pass than the same group riding single file.” 

Which is in line with the final wording:

“You can ride two abreast and it can be safer to do so, particularly in larger groups or when accompanying children or less experienced riders.”

There are exceptions, but the cyclists not following motorists have the right to decide what is an acceptable level of risk to themselves and to other park visitors in singling out:

“Be considerate of the needs of other road users when riding in groups [...] Be aware of drivers behind you and allow them to overtake (for example, by moving into single file or stopping) when you feel it is safe to let them do so.”

Taken together, the Highway Code changes provide a clear message to motorists driving in Richmond Park: pedestrians and cyclists have priority. They should also expect to encounter cyclists riding two abreast, and only negotiate them in a safe and respectful manner. We’re hopeful that, combined with effective policing, this will bring about positive change to the behaviour of some drivers who habitually close-pass.

SLIDE-LY BAFFLED

Why have so many cyclists fallen off at the roundabout by Roehampton Gate recently? We’ve had reports of more than a dozen incidents at this location, including one rider who broke their collarbone and ribs. There was widespread speculation that a single patch of oil or diesel was the culprit – but now it turns out others have come off at different roundabouts as well. 

Adam Curtis, the assistant manager of the park, has investigated the sites and concluded that there has been a build-up of tyre dust, mud, silt and possibly salt – the usual winter grime, in other words – without any rainfall to wash it away.

He adds: “We then get overnight dew where moisture in the air condenses on the colder road surface and combines with the odd spot of water drips from car exhausts. This lubricates the grime, and then in the mornings cyclists on slick tyres ride the corners without understanding the conditions.”

Park manager Simon Richards says they are looking at ways of getting the roundabouts washed. But this is likely to be a hazard on external roads too – indeed, we’ve seen the same telltale dark patches on various routes between Sheen Gate and Upper Richmond Road. So please get your winter tyres on, moderate your speed on corners, brake gradually – and be really careful when light rain finally comes…

DEER WE GO AGAIN

You may have been expecting the six-week deer cull to start next week, as the signs on the gates state that it usually commences on the first Monday in February. In fact, the cull began this week, as the park’s management did not want it to go too far into March. The usual safety restrictions are in force which govern when you can ride your bike through the park. Remember: if you arrive at any of the gates shortly before locking time, you should not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. See our website for full details.

CONE AWAY

Simon Richards has asked for our views on a plan to replace the temporary plastic barriers and cones with timber gates, posts and fencing. The installations are scheduled to begin next month, around the time the Movement Strategy’s traffic trials come to an end. The new constructions are demountable (enabling the roads to be cleared of road furniture for events such as the London Duathlon), and are subject to approval by The Royal Parks’ board of trustees – so they could be removed altogether. Nevertheless, the fact that these major works are on the horizon is an indication that the traffic trials will be made permanent.

Signage will clearly communicate the restrictions on through movement, which will make it easier for the police to fine motorists who drive on the closed roads, and reflective material will make them visible at night. We liked what we saw, which included permanent cycling slipways at the road edge, measuring at least 1.5 metres wide.

There are a number of other works planned, pending trustees’ approval:

• New crossings, marked in red, to support pedestrian priority. We have asked for sinusoidal ramps (the rounded kind, with no edges) and gentler rumble strips which would not discomfort children, the disabled or any other rider who cannot stand out of their saddle or chair. The first crossing favoured for installation could be from Roehampton Gate car park to the main body of the park.

• A wide footway on the bridge over Beverley Brook (which is between Roehampton Gate and Sheen Cross) where pedestrians currently have to walk in the road. The remaining roadway will no longer have room for two-way traffic, so movement from Roehampton Gate towards Richmond Gate will have priority. Motorists coming in the other direction will have to stop, but cyclists should be able to filter through. Like the crossing at Roehampton Gate car park, this installation is favoured for prioritisation.

• Demarcation of the road between Sheen Cross and Sheen Gate, and lowering the speed limit from 20mph to 10mph. The proposal was for one third of this section of the roadway to be a pedestrian walkway and the rest to become a two-way cycleway. However, after speaking with Tim Lennon of the Richmond Cycling Campaign, we jointly expressed the view to the park management that separate lanes for cyclists would create an unconscious sense of entitlement which would lead to increased speeds. A shared use space, once pedestrians and cyclists are settled in, would be a better solution. We see this in action on the Quietway from Sheen Cross to Ham Cross, which is narrower than this section.

• RCC has also helped us with countering TRP’s proposal that motorists entering the car parks at Sheen Gate and Broomfield Hill should have right of way across oncoming pedestrians and cyclists. This is contrary to the prioritisation of the most vulnerable road users in the new Highway Code. As with the established Quietway from Sheen Cross to Ham Cross, the give and take of shared use is the answer.

DRIVING FORWARD

In October, when setting their priorities for the quarter-year, the park’s police agreed to our suggestion of targeting drivers who ignore the no entry signs on the roadway. We are pleased to say they have now enlarged that priority for the forthcoming quarter to include all types of road behaviour. Additionally, we will be writing to Sgt Pete Sturgess about drivers speeding in the park at night to get to gates before they close after one of our subscribers was dangerously close-passed.

Here is a rundown of all the road-related incidents in October, November and December, as presented to the police panel last month:

• A total of 273 trade vehicles were issued with fixed penalty notices for illegally driving in the park.

• There were 46 drivers fined or warned for excessive speed, 70 for driving around the barriers, two apprehended for driving a vehicle to endanger any person, and three for having no insurance.

• As we reported in December’s bulletin, 53-year-old cycling instructor David Williams was driven off Queen’s Road moments after being subjected to a close pass. He warned the driver by banging on the car with his hand. The motorist dropped back and closely passed him again, knocking him off. David, who recorded the incident on his bike camera, was left with a broken collarbone, bruising, and a shattered helmet. The case is pending.

• Two drivers collided on Queen’s Road on November 23rd. One of the drivers, who was elderly, became blinded by the low sun and crossed the centre of the road into the path of the oncoming car. On the same road the following month, two other motorists collided. One admitted they were distracted by a deer, and is likely to be prosecuted for driving without due care and attention.

• On December 20th at Pembroke Lodge car park, a driver hit two parked cars which were shunted into a couple of pedestrians who sustained cuts and bruises.

• There were a number of cycling accidents that did not involve another party. One cyclist was left with a shoulder injury and chest pain after hitting a roadside post. Another had a seizure, fell and broke their clavicle. A third fell on Queen’s Road, cracking their helmet and suffering concussion.

• A cyclist descending Dark Hill on October 9th crashed into another rider coming in the opposite direction. The oncoming cyclist, who was said to be on the wrong side of the road, suffered a broken collarbone.

• On Boxing Day, a motorist slowed down on Queen’s Road to allow geese to cross when a cyclist hit the rear window and went through it. They were bruised and lost teeth.

• 40 cyclists were warned or apprehended for reaching excessive speeds for the road or traffic conditions. 

• The police warned 100 cyclists for venturing off track. This is a persistent cause of soil erosion, so please remember to stick to the track and advise others to do so.

Once again, the quarterly figures show that cyclists are open to greater danger in the park, mainly because of interaction with motor traffic – the majority of which is using the park as a shortcut – which adds to risk to life and limb.

BACK FOR SECONDS

Thanks to those of you who came to our second public meeting, and to La Ciclista for hosting again. Apologies to everyone for the short notice of the announcement – it would have been organised sooner had we not taken some time off in December.

The ideas we received from our subscribers were fed into our meeting with Simon Richards, the manager of Richmond Park, which also covered a wide range of other topics. Here is a rundown of what we talked about.

• There will be an access audit in the next year, which will look at how the pedestrian gates might be improved to help disabled visitors and those on cargo bikes enter and exit the park. The last one was carried out around 25 years ago.

• The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has written to the park’s management requesting details of the positive impacts that the proposed parking charges could have on the park’s environment. The proposals, which we are backing, cannot be implemented until MPs debate them in Parliament, and the information DCMS has requested could bolster the case for the charges.

• Richmond Council is monitoring air quality in the park as part of its borough-wide programme. (We later spotted one of the monitors – a small vessel that looks like a test tube – attached to the signpost for Holly Lodge on Sawyer’s Hill.) This is important, as emissions are likely to be a factor in our aim to rid the park of through traffic.

• Campaigners are concerned about recent works on Kew Bridge which have reduced the available footway for walking and cycling. They note that many who head to the park from north of the river cross at the bridge, and that The Royal Parks encourages visitors to use sustainable transport. We asked the park’s management to send a supportive statement to that effect which could aid the community representatives’ aims to improve the bridge for cyclists and pedestrians.

• Trialling one through traffic-free day a week – probably a Sunday – could be a possibility, but will not be considered until the traffic trials conclude next month. TRP’s trustees will meet mid-March to decide if the current restrictions are made permanent, although we do not yet know the exact date.

Thank you to Simon for the useful chat. We will let you know when we have fixed a date for the next quarterly meeting, and a public meeting prior to that which you are welcome to attend.

LONG MARCH TO JUSTICE

Remember the cyclist descending Broomfield Hill who ended up with a broken scapula, a fractured shoulder and a bent bike after trying to avoid a car whose driver had ignored the no entry sign at the top because he was allegedly following his sat-nav (and was attempting a U-turn when the rider hit his vehicle)?

We optimistically announced a couple of weeks ago that it was judgement day as the driver was in court and was expected to provide a guilty plea… but instead he pleaded not guilty. That means the case has now been pushed back to March – which is eight long months after the incident took place. The victim, who did not attend the hearing on January 17, is waiting to hear if he will have to go to court next month. We’ll keep you posted on how it turns out.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

Well, that was a busy bulletin! As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #48, January 2022

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in January 2022. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

HAPPY NEW YEAR – AND THANK YOU

We’ve been enjoying some time off over Christmas and New Year – and we hope you have too – but we couldn’t end 2021 without saying thank you to a few people.

🚴‍♀️ Firstly, to YOU. The ever-growing subscriber base for this monthly missive is incredibly important to us. It enables Richmond Park Cyclists to have a seat at the table among the park’s authorities and stakeholders, and create a meaningful dialogue with them. So thanks for subscribing – especially at this crucial time, with the traffic restriction trials coming to a conclusion in three months.

🚴Thank you to Simon Richards, the manager of Richmond Park, for taking the time to have regular quarterly meetings with us, and to his team for maintaining the roads, especially the de-icing of the tarmac on especially cold days recently. Thank you as well to Simon’s colleagues at The Royal Parks for their willingness to communicate and engage with us.

🚴🏾‍♀️Thanks to Sgt Peter Sturgess from the park’s police unit for agreeing to target drivers disobeying the road closure signs following our request. The deployment of unmarked cars with officers monitoring these infringements and unauthorised trade vehicles is much appreciated. And thank you to Sgt Pete’s colleagues from Operation Venice following the spate of attacks on cyclists by machete-wielding thieves on mopeds and scooters – the specialist unit’s high presence in the park has been seemingly successful.

🚴‍♂️We are the beneficiaries of expert knowledge and advice on a range of issues from Tim Lennon of the Richmond Cycling Campaign. Thank you, Tim, for your ongoing help and support in our bid to remove through traffic from the park.

🚴🏾‍♂️Lastly, thank you to our sponsors Cycle Exchange, Richmond Cycles, Bella Velo, Kingston Wheelers and Look Mum No Hands! for their support. Additional thanks to Pearson Performance, Sigma Sport and La Ciclista for stocking our Code of Conduct cards, and thank you to La Ciclista for hosting our first public meeting in the cafe.

Full bulletin service resumes at the beginning of February. In the meantime, hope you have a great year. Onwards and upwards in 2022! 

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #47, December 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in December 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Pollution in the park “dangerously high” +++ Are nearby external roads really as busy as some think? +++ Verbal abuse aimed at visitors to stables +++ Cyclist driven off road, and two motorists collide +++ Gates restricting access for cargo bikes +++ Dip your lights!

EYES ON THE ROADS

It’s our final bulletin of the year – and we would like to say thanks to all of you for subscribing to our monthly updates during 2021. In 2022, and with the Movement Strategy trials due to reach their conclusion in March, we will turn our attention to data covering road usage as we continue to build a case for ending through traffic. One key metric is likely to be pollution, with figures circulating on social media last week suggesting that levels within the park may be dangerously high. The Royal Parks points out that the figures are projections from 2013, not actual measurements of the current situation – to which the sensible response is, please measure the air quality in the park.

In the meantime, we are shooting video footage at random times of the week to explore the belief that the park must remain open to through traffic so it can relieve pressure on the local road network. The first clip, which we ran on social media last week, showed that most of Queen’s Road and Star And Garter Hill down to Ham was deserted on a weekday evening in rush hour. Take a look.

EMISSION STATEMENT

Returning briefly to the subject of pollution, The Royal Parks stated last month that carbon emissions from through traffic in the park have not been included in the measurement of the organisation’s carbon footprint. TRP was responding to questions fielded by Tim Lennon from the Richmond Cycling Campaign after he and ourselves attended the latest biannual stakeholder meeting, chaired by Tom Jarvis, the Director of Parks. 

Here are Tim’s questions and TRP’s replies. 

Will TRP be recruiting a new transport lead to replace Mat Bonomi (who introduced the Movement Strategy and left in April)?

A final decision on this recruitment has yet to be made.

When will a decision be made on the results of the Movement Strategy?

At the start of March 2021, we announced we would keep the measures to reduce cut-through traffic in place for another year until March 2022. We will monitor additional data to ensure a clear picture of the impact of the schemes, before determining whether they should be made permanent.

Will TRP make the trialled closures in Richmond and Bushy Parks permanent, and if not, why not?

As Q2

What is TRP’s plan to deliver on its commitment in the Movement Strategy to end the use of Richmond Park as a through route?

As Q2

Does TRP have a net zero plan? When will this deliver?

We are working on various initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, with a focus on the main sources contributing to our carbon footprint. Some of these projects will require feasibility assessments to identify the most appropriate solutions (e.g. replace the heating source in the Hyde Nursery) and will be medium term projects that are expected to start delivering carbon reductions by 2023/24. Other areas are quicker to achieve, such as specifying battery powered landscape maintenance tools (e.g. hedge trimmers, mowers).

What part does through traffic play in any carbon reduction strategies in Richmond Park? 

The carbon emissions from through traffic have not been included in our carbon footprint. We are currently focusing on the direct emissions from our operations and those from our contractors.

What data, qualitative or quantitative, will you use to make decisions on traffic in the park?  

We are engaging with TFL and LA’s regarding the availability and suitability of data to inform our decision-making process. We are monitoring additional data and information including incident statistics, monitoring how visitors use these new spaces, traffic and car parking management.

During the meeting itself, Tom and Simon Richards, the manager of Richmond Park, referred respectively to “comparing with the current situation” and “undertaking internal monitoring” regarding the usage of roads inside and outside the park during the current restrictions. And in a response to an enquiry on Twitter regarding the possibility of future policies on “reducing traffic dominance” in the park, TRP said it has “aspirations to take things further” than the current trials.

Even though TRP’s tweet did not relate solely to Richmond Park, could it signal a route towards our goal of eradicating through traffic? We’ll be investigating this tantalising prospect in the coming weeks and months.

UN-STABLE BEHAVIOUR

Now for an important clarification. In last month’s bulletin, we stated that drivers with permission to travel through restricted areas of the park have a permit displayed in their vehicle. A subscriber who has a horse at Holly Lodge contacted us to point out that this is not always the case – and she has experienced abuse from some cyclists who wrongly assume she is breaking the rules when she travels to and from the park’s stables.

In her email, she explained that she and many other authorised visitors are permitted to drive there at weekends – but The Royal Parks only issues permits to park staff. She says: “I have been verbally abused on numerous occasions, had cyclists deliberately block my way and punch my car, had someone throw something at my car and been followed on a dark morning to the gates of the yard. It's a truly horrible experience. Please also be aware that a therapy centre is run at Holly Lodge specialising in adults with learning difficulties. Obviously these people will find the abuse they get significantly more difficult.”

Another subscriber from the stables tells us: “Many of the riders – sadly, only the women – have reported abuse from cyclists when driving in.”

As we revealed last month, the park’s police have agreed with our request to prioritise the targeting of genuine rulebreakers who drive around the no-entry signs on roads. So please do not approach any driver, even if you suspect them of flouting the restrictions – and if you see any cyclist abusing a motorist, politely but firmly tell them to stop. Their actions can affect the reputation of us all.

TWO TOO MANY

There were two concerning incidents on the park’s roadway last month – one involving a cyclist. 

• On Thursday, November 11, at around 12.40pm, 53-year-old cycling instructor David Williams was driven off Queen’s Road moments after being subjected to a close pass. He was left with a broken collarbone, bruising, and a shattered helmet. You can read more on Kingston Nub News. If you witnessed the incident or have any information, call the police on 101 and quote the crime reference number TW/01/0000779/21.

• The second incident, in which two cars collided on Tuesday 23, also took place on Queen’s Road. We took footage of the damaged vehicles around 3:45pm. An officer at the scene said one of the drivers had been blinded by low sun. Thankfully, no one was injured – this time, at least.

Queen’s Road is the busiest part of the park’s roadway, and these incidents show, once again, why through traffic should be removed. Cyclists and pedestrians should not have to run the risk of being exposed to such dangers in a National Nature Reserve.

CARGO NO GO

A mum who cycled through the park last month in a cargo bike with three kids in tow tells us that she arrived at Kingston Gate at 4.55pm and found that only the kissing gate was open. This is standard procedure – the contractors who work for The Royal Parks lock the straight-through gates so that the deer do not leave. But as her cargo bike was too big to fit through the kissing gate, she and her kids were stuck in the park. So she called the police – who, thankfully, sent someone to unlock the gate.

Cargo bikes have become a commoner sight in recent years – and thanks to their practicality and usefulness, they are likely to become even more popular. Clearly, the park’s pedestrian gates should be adapted for them so they can be used at any time, just like other types of bike, and the park’s management assure us that they will consider doing this. We will speak to them about this issue in more detail when we have our next quarterly meeting with them in January.

LIGHT RELIEF

Finally, now that the nights are drawing in, here’s a brief request to make sure you don’t dazzle your fellow cyclists. 

A subscriber asked us to point out that unless dipped, your front lights can momentarily blind oncoming riders – and when we rode on the Quietway on a weekday evening last month, it was notable how often this happened in a relatively short space of time. 

Even though there is no street lighting in the park, it’s perfectly safe to use the standard setting and dip the angle, if not already adjusted to face the roadway, when passing riders going in the opposite direction. Your fellow cyclists will appreciate your courtesy.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

All of us at RPC would like to wish you a happy Christmas and brilliant New Year. Everyone who receives these monthly missives is valuable, as without a subscriber base behind us our dialogues with The Royal Parks and stakeholders to improve the park for cycling and walking would be far more challenging. As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

See you in 2022,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #46, November 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in November 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Bike-jacking suspect in custody +++ Police to target drivers ignoring traffic trial restrictions +++ A summary of road incidents over the past three months +++ Speed limits – the police’s final word

ROBBERIES LATEST

The spate of violent bike-jackings in the park carried out by balaclava-wearing thugs has attracted national attention and led to a drop in the number of cyclists. The police investigation is now being run by Operation Venice, the Met unit which has been tackling motorcycle-enabled crime across London since 2012. They have made one arrest, which has hopefully sent a message to the brazen thieves that it is not worth the risk, and the suspect is currently remanded in custody.

There have not been any more thefts in the park since police apprehended the suspect three weeks ago. He is still under investigation, and Sgt Peter Sturgess from the park’s police unit, which is separate to Operation Venice, seemed confident that the ongoing inquiry will lead to a welcome outcome.

Nevertheless, please remain vigilant and follow the police’s key advice:

• Try to cycle in groups if you can.

• Keep a friendly eye out for cyclists riding alone.

• If you hear a motorbike approaching in the distance at speed, dismount rather than risk being rammed off.

• Do not share photos or video footage of assailants on social media. Send them to the police. Visual clues, such as items of clothing, are valuable to detectives, who can use them to link the people on camera to crimes. Distributing images online can alert the criminals and increase the chance of them altering their appearance.

Here is a timeline of the events so far, along with the crime reference numbers. Call 101, quoting the relevant number, if you have any information which could help police with their enquiries or lead to the recovery of the stolen bikes.

Wednesday, October 6: Two males wearing balaclavas and riding electric scooters on Sawyers Hill pushed a cyclist off his bike – a red 2021 Cannondale System Six Ultegra – and stole it. (Crime ref: 0709961/21)

Thursday 7: At around 3pm, four males on two motorbikes pursued and rammed British pro cyclist Alexandar Richardson near Sheen Gate. The Alpecin-Fenix rider held on to his £10,000 Specialized Tarmac SL7 as he was dragged along the ground for 100 metres before one of the gang threatened him with a machete and made off with the bike. Alex posted a photo showing bad cuts to his leg from the attack. (Crime ref: 5103/07Oct)

Friday 8: We happened to be riding past Roehampton Gate at around 1.30pm when two officers who had just driven in stopped their car to warn us that a couple of people wearing balaclavas were spotted heading down Priory Lane on a moped and were believed to be in the park. They were not located and there was no theft this time.

Monday 11: There were two more violent bike-jackings, both at 5pm at separate locations outside the park, with the assailants wielding machetes again. One was on Putney High Street (Crime ref: 5688/11Oct), the other outside Ibstock School on Danebury Avenue near Roehampton Gate. The victim of the former robbery escaped unharmed. The rider involved in the latter was Marc Radville, 37, from Lewisham, who suffered bruising after the assailants rammed him to the ground.

Wednesday 13: Officers from Operation Venice apprehended a male on a motorbike in the park. He was stopped using “tactical contact”, which is the police term for intentionally knocking a suspect off a vehicle. He was taken into custody.

Friday 15: Police state a 16-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of robbery, attempted robbery, possession of an offensive weapon and allowing to be carried in a stolen vehicle. He is under investigation for the offences relating to the robberies in the park and was charged with offences related to a separate investigation. He is currently remanded in custody.

NO BARRIERS TO PROGRESS

At the quarterly police panel meeting which we attended last month, we asked Sgt Peter Sturgess to target motorists who drive around the barriers restricting traffic in the park – and we are pleased to say he has agreed that this will be one of his unit’s four main priorities over the next three months. 

Every meeting of the panel decides what the police will prioritise during the coming quarter-year. The suggested priorities are often carried over at the next meeting, which means targeting motorists breaching the trial restrictions could also be extended beyond January.

Sgt Sturgess’s adoption of our suggestion builds on the police’s decision, mentioned in last month’s bulletin, to report motorists for driving without due care and attention if they are caught going around the barriers – a harsher charge which can result in a fine, penalty points or requirement to go on a driving course.

Many of those who drive around the barriers have permission to do so as they are on park business, and their vehicles will have a relevant permit displayed. But many others are simply trying their luck – and as we previously reported, in July a cyclist was left with a broken scapula, a fractured shoulder and a bent bike after a driver who should not have been at the foot of Broomfield Hill tried to do a U-turn. Now that the police are sending a stronger message to motorists that the restrictions must be obeyed, the chance of such dangers occurring will hopefully be reduced.

REPORT RUNDOWN

Staying on the subject of the Police Panel meeting, here is a summary of road-related incidents in the police report for July, August and September.

• A total of 355 trade vehicles were issued with fixed penalty notices for illegally driving in the park. We believe this figure to be a record. Targeting trade vehicles was one of the police’s priorities for the quarter, and will continue to be so for the next three months.

• The most dramatic cycling-related incident was the crash on Broomfield Hill caused by a U-turning driver, mentioned above and in our August bulletin.

• There were 84 drivers fined for excessive speed, 29 for driving around the trial barriers, three taken to court for driving without due care or attention, and seven for no insurance.  

• No cyclists were issued with fines, but many were given advice at the roadside for riding without due care, or endangering others which sometimes involved inappropriate speed for the traffic conditions.

• There were two altercations involving a cyclist and a driver. The first, which took place in July on Broomfield Hill, resulted in the cyclist coming off his bike, suffering bruising and shallow cuts; the second was a verbal altercation on Queen’s Road in August where the driver braked hard and the rider went into the back of the car, grazing his hands.

• In July, a cyclist travelling uphill on Queen’s Road came off, hitting his head and hurting his hip, after he saw an oncoming driver overtaking cyclists and swerved to avoid him.

• Also in July, a driver waiting to turn right was overtaken by a cyclist as he started his manoeuvre. He hit the cyclist, causing grazes and cuts to his right arm, leg and face.

• There were two incidents of cyclists hitting pedestrians. On White Lodge Road in July, a pedestrian walking uphill was hit by a cyclist and fell to the floor. The pedestrian suffered a fractured cheek, extensive bruising, tooth damage and concussion. The cyclist, who came off the bike, cycled away. (We were previously told by the police that both parties were women and the cyclist said sorry before riding off.) The second incident, which was at Sheen Cross in August, saw a cyclist hitting a child who was crossing the road, resulting in grazes to the child’s hands.

Once again, the quarterly figures show that cyclists are open to greater danger in the park. The elimination of through traffic would reduce incidents that lead to their physical harm as well as free up police time which is currently spent on apprehending and fining drivers.

CULL BACK

It’s November, chums – which means the second of the biannual deer culls has begun. Here’s a quick reminder of the restrictions on cycling in the park at night and early morning while the operation is carried out.

For approximately six weeks, the pedestrian gates will open at 7:30am and close at 8pm, which means you will not be able to ride your bike in the park outside these times. Remember that the restrictions are for your own safety as firearms are used.

The Royal Parks’ team locks the gates in rotation each night. If you arrive at one of them shortly prior to locking time, please do not enter unless you are absolutely certain you can easily reach your exit before 8pm. Ride into the park at, say, 7.59 and you could find your exit is already locked – so you will have to head back to the gate where you entered, which will now be shut as well, then wait for TRP’s team to return on its final sweep and open it for you. Save yourself getting into a pickle by using the roads around the park instead. 

The cull, which TRP has a duty to carry out in order to control the number of deer, could last longer or shorter than the allocated six-week period, depending on the health of the herd. We will let you know via social media if the pedestrian gates reopen before our next monthly bulletin comes out.

SPEEDY RESOLUTION

On a final note, the park’s police and its management met to discuss a way forward after The Royal Parks wrote, in a response to a Freedom of Information request, that the speed limits stated in its regulations “are not deemed to apply to bicycles”.

The police’s response following the meeting clarifies the matter. Here is their statement: 

“It is a criminal offence, under existing Royal Parks regulations, for cyclists or any person in a park to intentionally or recklessly interfere with the safety, comfort or convenience of other visitors. This includes those cycling dangerously or recklessly at speed.  

“We acknowledge that while most visitors who cycle in the park are law-abiding, a small minority are not and their behaviour is an issue of concern for the wider public as well as other cyclists. We work closely with The Royal Parks as we enforce safe cycling across the parks, so all visitors and wildlife can enjoy the parks safely.

“To this end, we recommend that cyclists use the signposted limits as a guide for appropriate speeds.”

At the police panel meeting, which took place the day before the police and management met, it was made clear that the response to the FoI request makes no practical difference to the way the roads are policed. Officers have a range of powers to deal with excessive cycling speeds, and they tend to use them mainly when there is an aggravating factor involved such as, for example, weaving in and out of cars or crowds of people. (It should also be noted that the number of cyclists fined for speeding is incredibly small.)

We are pleased with the police’s statement. The limits of 20mph on the outer roadway and 10mph on the Quietway, which are signposted for cyclists, represent a reasonable speed for their particular environments. Now this distraction has been resolved, we can concentrate fully on our greater goal of eliminating through traffic from the park.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #44, September 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in September 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Come along to our inaugural public meeting! +++ Update on subscribers writing to Richmond Park’s MP +++ Plans for car-free weekend rejected +++ London Duathlon road closures on Sunday +++ Cycling speed advice changed

COME AND MEET US

We’ve met up in recent weeks with the representatives of the Richmond Cycling Campaign and the Friends of Richmond Park. Now we’re ready for our most important meeting – with YOU! 

Our first public event will take place in La Ciclista cafe in Sheen on Saturday, September 25 at 9.30am.  This get-together enables you to tell us what ideas you would like to be discussed when we meet with the management of Richmond Park on Tuesday 28th, which will be the first of our quarterly meetings with them. Or you can just come along to meet us in person, find out more about Richmond Park Cyclists, or just say hello!

Space is limited, so please reply to this email if you would like to come so we and the good people at Ciclista have some idea of numbers. See you there!

A MISSIVE EFFORT

A huge thank-you to everyone who wrote to Sarah Olney, the Liberal Democrat MP for Richmond Park, after reading last month’s bulletin, particularly those of you who forwarded or copied us in to the eloquently persuasive emails you sent to her. As we said in our previous newsletter, the majority of the correspondence Sarah receives about the park’s roads support their use as a through route, so it is vital that we redress that balance before the Movement Strategy trial ends in March next year.

If you haven’t emailed her, please do so at the address below, and express in your own words why you think there should be no through traffic in the park. You can read the item in last month’s bulletin, titled It’s Time To End Through Traffic, which sets out our approach for the coming months.

In her individual responses to some of the emails from our subscribers, Sarah has told those of you who are not her constituents that she is unable to assist “due to strict parliamentary protocol”. She asks those who live outside her constituency to write to their own MP instead. Please do so, and copy in Sarah as well. We are due to meet Sarah in the near future to discuss how she can take on board the concerns of constituents and non-constituents about cycling in the park.

To give you some inspiration for your emails to Sarah or your local MP, here are a few excerpts of messages other subscribers have sent.

“I am a car driver and cyclist. I have three children of 19, 17 and eight and have cycled with them all in Richmond Park many times as well as on my own. My strong view is that the park should be closed to all through traffic. [...] This would serve to drastically reduce the volume of vehicle traffic in the park along with the commensurate risk of accidents and pollution. There are perfectly adequate routes around the park (which of course seem to be no hardship for people to use at night) which traffic can use.”

“During the Covid pandemic I took up cycling and it really saved my mental health. [...] The cyclists who flock there (including women, children, people with disabilities, elderly people, etc, not just middle-aged men in expensive Lycra!) show just how much it’s enjoyed and could be enjoyed if it were a car-free zone. [...] We need, desperately, ONE safe space to cycle in: for mental health, for physical health, to lower our carbon footprints, to connect in safe, open-air environments with our family and friends.” 

“During lockdown local residents used Richmond Park as an oasis for exercise. Without cars driving through the park, recreational visitors enjoyed cleaner air and lower noise levels. For families with children and less experienced cyclists, it created a safe space where they could try cycling without the presence of cars on the road which many find intimidating. Given the need to reduce carbon emissions and to encourage people to exercise more to reduce the strain on health services through obesity and Type 2 diabetes, surely it would make sense to restrict vehicle through-traffic to support the continued use of the park as a safe space for exercise and cycling.”

“As a long-time resident of Richmond and someone who walks, cycles and (very occasionally) drives, I ask you to help us reclaim Richmond Park as a place to enjoy nature, to recreate and to breathe fresh air. I walk and cycle in Richmond Park, though not during busy times, as it has become just too dangerous, and I am shocked by the behaviour of many motorists who pay no attention to the speed limit, close pass cyclists, line up trying to enter the already expanded car parks, and generally behave as if it is their right to do what they want with no consideration for others – human or animal – in this beautiful natural space. Even those motorists who observe the speed limit and drive safely are contributing to pollution in this place of nature. [...] Future generations will look back and wonder what we were thinking, desecrating Richmond Park and places like it.”

“Leaving a rat run for [motorists], given the pressures of climate change, or the simple fact a park should be blighted by cars, cannot be supported. I would actively support and fund a credible Green candidate who pushed this as one of their core policies at the next election.”

So there you have it – ordinary people like you, expressing their personal experience of the park, and hoping to shape its future.  You can email Sarah at office@saraholney.com. Do it today, chums!

CAR-FREE ROADBLOCK

Our concept of a car-free day in Richmond Park, which appeared in July’s bulletin, has a natural appeal to many in the cycling community – so we were pleased to see other stakeholder groups take up a similar idea independently a couple of weeks ago and approach The Royal Parks to implement it. Less pleasingly, TRP has rebuffed the groups’ proposal to host it this month. Nevertheless, the chance of a car-free day at some point in the future remains a possibility, particularly as TRP itself has floated the idea in the recent past.

Last month’s approach to TRP was spearheaded by local environmental groups, including Richmond and Twickenham Friends of the Earth, the Kingston Environment Forum and Wandsworth Living Streets. We were approached by Andree Frieze, Green Party councillor for Ham and Petersham, to sign their letter, which also included the Wandsworth, Richmond and Kingston branches of the London Cycling Campaign as co-signatories. The Friends of Richmond Park declined to sign the letter, stating that its “overwhelming priority” instead is to encourage TRP to make the current traffic restrictions permanent, and asking that it is given “more time” in future to respond to other initiatives. (It should be noted that FoRP also has a stated position: “In the long-term, through traffic is surely incompatible with a National Nature Reserve. The park should not be a relief valve for the roads outside it.” We agree, although we would prefer if the Friends had added that this should be the case at the end of the trials.)

The plan was to hold the event on the weekend before Wednesday, September 22, which is World Car-Free Day. The letter to Andrew Scattergood, the Chief Executive of TRP, said: “The car-free weekend would be a family- and disability-friendly event, enabling everyone – whatever their ability or age – to use the park’s roadway, regardless of whether they are on foot, mobility aid, horse or bicycle.” Part of our role would have been to ask local cycling clubs to avoid using the park during that particular weekend and help find volunteers.

In turning down the request, Andrew Scattergood referred to the traffic restrictions currently in place and stated: “We will not be considering any further interventions until the trials have concluded.”

We do not consider a car-free day to be so much of an intervention, but more of an opportunity for TRP to show an enlightened attitude towards the growing need for more active travel. Indeed, the possibility of a car-free day appears in The Royal Parks’ Movement Strategy document (scroll down to “Outcome 6” and see for yourself). For this reason, and because so many who come to the park by bike and on foot would like to see it happen, we will continue to pursue our original idea.

DU BACK

After an enforced absence last year, the London Duathlon returns to Richmond Park this Sunday, which means you will not be able to cycle on the roadway as normal while the event is taking place. 

Those of you out for a leisurely cycle will still be able to enter the park through the pedestrian gates and ride along the Tamsin Trail. The park’s management say they do not mind children and less confident cyclists riding on the tarmac path, which runs from Roehampton Gate to Richmond Gate and between Ham Cross and Kingston Gate, although others should not treat it as an alternative route during the duathlon as the pathway is suited to lower speeds and has smaller capacity than the outer road.

Please also note that the interior routes that go to or pass Pen Ponds kiosks from Sheen Cross, Robin Hood Gate and Ham Cross will not be available to cycle on as they are all part of the event route. 

The duathlon is scheduled to finish around 6pm, although cyclists should stay off the road while contractors deconstruct and clear up the site.

Best of luck to everyone taking part – especially to any of our subscribers who are putting on their running shoes. Let us know how you get on!

SPEED OF CHANGE

The Royal Parks has amended the advice on its website concerning safe speeds for cycling. 

Previously, the advice was: “Speed limits do not apply to cyclists within the parks but it is recommended that cyclists keep to appropriate speeds for the environment. Cycling design speeds between eight and 12mph have been found to be more acceptable for park visitors.”

This has now been changed to: “It is recommended that cyclists keep to appropriate speeds for the park environment.”

The original statement, which was general advice for all royal parks, did not reflect the fact that Richmond Park does have sign-posted speed limits for cyclists – 20mph on its outer roadway and 10mph on the quietway and Tamsin Trail, all of which are policed. Moreover, the wording left itself open to the interpretation that those who cycle at more than 12mph on the outer road, as many who respect the speed limit do, are moving at an unacceptable speed – which, of course, they are not. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox. Let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. Better still, meet the team and join us at Ciclista on Saturday 25th at 9.30am.  

If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #43, August 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the edition that we sent in August 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… +++ Why through traffic must end, and why you should tell Richmond Park’s MP what you think +++ Police report on incidents during the last quarter-year +++ Crash on Broomfield Hill +++ Changes to Highway Code... but don’t celebrate just yet +++ Bike parking spaces – should there be more?

MAKE THE WRITE DECISION

Welcome to a special edition of Richmond Park Cyclists’ bulletin. This month, we are setting out our aim to end through traffic in Richmond Park, explaining why it should happen, and encouraging you to help us achieve this goal in the months ahead

Please take a moment to read our ideas below, and if you agree with us, write to Sarah Olney, the member of Parliament for Richmond Park to express your thoughts in your own words. We are told that the majority of the correspondence she receives about the park’s roads support their use as a through route so it is vital that we redress that balance before The Royal Parks’ Movement Strategy trial ends in March next year

You can email Sarah at office@saraholney.com. Do it today, chums!

IT’S TIME TO END THROUGH TRAFFIC

Mega-cities have expanded throughout the world, clogged and choked by motor traffic. By contrast, in London we are fortunate to still have our large, green open spaces such as Richmond Park which can provide respite from the stresses and challenges of daily city life.

But, depending on the time of the week, between 68 and 91 percent of motorists on the roads inside Richmond Park are using it as a shortcut, according to The Royal Parks. Its 2017 draft report also indicated that women, children and disabled riders are put off cycling in the park by motor traffic. 

Richmond Park Cyclists is an ally of Richmond Park. We want what is best for it. And the best outcome of the Movement Strategy will be an end to through traffic, which encroaches on the use of London’s number one free cycling resource as a place for public recreation, health and well-being for all.

Our sedentary lifestyle has caused increasing obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.  As a society we should exercise more, but unless we have super-safe places to do that, many simply won’t get on their bikes.  Without through traffic, Richmond Park would be a far better place for children and other less experienced cyclists to gain confidence

Richmond Park, which is a National Nature Reserve, should be a place of tranquility where Londoners can breathe clean air and listen to the natural world around them. Cars, even when driven considerately, are intimidating for many pedestrians and cyclists. The poor air quality motor vehicles create is linked to asthma, strokes and cancers, and traffic noise is linked with rising stress levels and reduced ability to concentrate. Away from the roadway, air quality is relatively good and noise levels are lower.  But this is not the case near its roads. Removing shortcut traffic would improve all visitors’ general health.

Moreover, The Royal Parks is obliged by its charitable objects to protect the natural environment of its green spaces.  Allowing through traffic to continue is contrary to those aims.

Some motorists argue that the rising number of cars on London’s roads justifies using Richmond Park as part of the road network.  But it is increasingly accepted that the only solution to congestion is to reduce car journeys.  Only a shift to more active travel and better public transport will prevent unworkable congestion and reduce pollution which is driving climate change. We need to encourage more cycling and walking, and a Richmond Park free of through traffic will do exactly that. 

Covid has been a miserable experience for many, but it has highlighted the importance of open spaces in our cities.  The complete closure of Richmond Park to motor vehicles in 2020 showed us how significantly the ambience and environment improved without cars.  We want The Royal Parks to show leadership and seize this golden opportunity to keep all through traffic out of the park on a permanent basis.  

Previous generations had the foresight to create the parks. It is our responsibility to enhance and protect them. 

PASSED OVER

As promised last month, we spoke to the park’s police about measuring the incidence of close passes on the park’s roads. We were told that the specialist unit that carries out this type of investigation would not do so as the number of incidents on the roadway that result in hospitalisation of cyclists show that it is relatively safer than roads in London generally.

Well, the park is safe for cycling within that very limited definition. But, as the list below shows, it is not as safe as many would expect a public place of recreation to be. In what is a recurring theme of this edition of the bulletin, the solution in many cases is to end through traffic.

Here are the highlights of the data from the latest quarter-year, presented to the park’s Police Panel last month:

• As in previous reports, the notion that cycling endangers others in the park is belied by the list of injuries. In 11 of the 15 reported incidents, cyclists were hurt with no other party involved. Most of these types of accidents were due to simple mistakes, such as braking too sharply downhill, and the injuries were only cuts and bruises. Two incidents were seemingly caused by weather conditions – in May, one rider fainted in the heat while another was blown off by a gust of wind on Broomfield Hill.

• A cyclist and a driver nearly collided on Richmond Hill in May, and a “verbal altercation” took place as they entered Richmond Park, leading to the rider kicking the car. The motorist retaliated by slapping him across the head, knocking his glasses off.

• In June, a driver turned left into one of the car parks, causing a cyclist to collide with the car and sustain cuts to their knees. Somewhat vaguely, the report gives the location as “Broomfield Hill (possibly Dark Hill)”.

• In May, a cyclist and an off-duty police officer attempted to stop a driver maneuvering around barriers on Broomfield Hill. A “low-impact collision” occurred resulting in “a small cut to the officer’s hand”.

• As we reported in May’s bulletin, a 12-year-old girl had a cut on her forehead after she stepped out into the path of a cyclist riding at a sensible speed on the road in front of the Roehampton Gate car park.

• The number of motorists the police had to deal with far outstrips cyclists. The two commonest types of misdemeanors were trade vehicles passing through the park – 149 in June alone – and parking in unauthorised areas. 

BROOMFIELD HELL

There was an incident – and it’s a pretty dramatic one – that will appear in the next police report. It was not recorded in the latest report as it took place outside its quarterly time frame of April to June.

On the evening of Monday, July 12, a cyclist descending Broomfield Hill came off after trying to avoid a car whose driver was doing a U-turn on the bottom corner. The motorist had driven around the barriers at the top and apparently claimed Google Maps had sent him down the hill.

Amazingly, the cyclist rode the short distance home with a broken scapula, a fractured shoulder and a bent bike rather than wait 90 minutes for an ambulance, which meant police did not attend the scene. But the victim later contacted Sgt Peter Sturgess from the park’s police with details, including the car’s number plate, which officers have used to locate the driver. 

The cyclist, who is on the mend, says the specialist police unit that investigates road traffic accidents have not yet told him what action will be taken against the driver. He asked us to urge caution when riding in the park as drivers sometimes “panic and do stupid stuff”, and hazards ahead can be obscured by a tree and bushes on the bottom corner of Broomfield.

As for the driver apparently claiming he was guided by his sat nav app, that could be true. If it was not updated, the current restrictions might not have shown up – and in theory if enough motorists drive past the barriers, Google changes its maps to show the route is available to drive on. And it is not just Google – earlier this week, the injured cyclist showed us on his phone that Apple Maps gave Broomfield Hill as a drivable route through the park.

But, of course, “my sat nav told me to do it” is no defence; there is a big sign on the hilltop clearly telling drivers that it is a no-go area for cars. 

This incident shows, yet again, that allowing through traffic invites bad driving which can cause serious injury to cyclists. The use of the park as a shortcut route for drivers must end.

HIGH AMBITIONS

A quick word about the Government’s interim announcement a few days ago concerning forthcoming changes to the Highway Code.

The new version will define a "hierarchy of road users" to make it clear that drivers of cars, vans and lorries "have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they may pose to others". It will also ensure cyclists have priority when travelling straight ahead at junctions. To sustain the increase in active travel during the pandemic, an extra £338million will be spent to boost cycling and walking. 

All are welcome developments, but we will wait until the autumn when the Government publishes the new code in full before celebrating. In October, we spoke to Cycling UK and British Cycling about our concerns regarding the proposed alteration of Rule 66, which is likely to have an impact on riding two abreast in the park if it is implemented as written (essentially, the wording obliges cyclists to single out in some situations, which can be less safe, when drivers wish to overtake). We hope the Government listens to concerns on this issue from cycling bodies and cyclists who took part in the public consultation.

HOOPS AND DREAMS

On a final note, here’s a little victory that has led us to ponder a bigger question. 

One of our subscribers was unable to lock her bike’s frame and front wheel at Pen Ponds because the cafe’s electricity generator was pushed up against the parking hoops. We sent photos of the problem to the park’s management, who said the mobile generator was in place while the permanent one was being fixed, and that they would chase up the cafe to get it sorted. Happily, this has now been done.

This got us thinking about bike parking generally. We do not know exactly how many spaces are provided throughout the park, where all of them are or how often they are used. Should The Royal Parks provide a greater number of secure and visible cycle parking spaces to encourage more visitors to leave their cars at home and ride to the park? We are now in the process of looking at all the bike parking areas to answer that question.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox – and don’t forget to email Sarah Olney with your thoughts on making Richmond Park free of through traffic (her email address is office@saraholney.com).

Let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #42, July 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in July 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE… Your chance to communicate your thoughts and ideas to the park’s management +++ Fresh opportunity for a car-free day +++ Close passes, two collisions and the Police Panel +++ Gates to replace barriers +++ Three new food outlets opening soon 

MEET FEAST

A meeting about meetings may not sound like the most thrilling opening item for this bulletin, but the outcome of a chat we had a couple of weeks ago with Simon Richards, the manager of Richmond Park, should help make the capital’s greatest free cycling resource an even better place to ride a bike.

Simon has agreed to meet us quarterly to better understand issues surrounding riding in the park. Being given the chance to meet management on a formal basis is a valuable opportunity, and we thank Simon for giving it to us. These management meetings will complement the meetings and regular communications we have with Sgt Peter Sturgess and his parks’ police unit.

We need you, our subscribers, to tell us about issues you want us to raise. We had a meeting (yes, another one!) on Wednesday to discuss amongst ourselves how other cyclists can contribute ideas for the quarterly meetings as well. We will let you know our plans when they are finalised ahead of the at our first get-together in September. 

CAR-FREE ATTITUDE

Remember pre-pandemic times? Long-term subscribers may struggle to recall that, at the tail end of 2019, we floated the idea of having a car-free day in Richmond Park. The concept briefly resurfaced in February last year when The Royal Parks stated that it wanted to implement the idea across its green spaces. The following month, we included the recommendation of a car-free day in our submission to the Movement Strategy.

Fast forward 15 months later, and the indications are that a car-free day could get off the ground. We will be speaking to stakeholder groups to garner support, which we are confident of receiving. 

The car-free day would be a family-friendly event, enabling all types of cyclists to use the park’s roadway, regardless of their levels of confidence or experience. We will keep you posted with our progress.

GATE OUTTA HERE

Begone, unsightly plastic! The temporary barriers and cones which limit the movement of motor vehicles during the ongoing traffic trial are scheduled to be replaced this autumn by timber gates and permanent roadways for cyclists. This is welcome news for those who are often surprised to find the layout of the barriers changing from week to week.

The gateways, which are designed by road engineers, will be clearly signposted and designed for easy navigation. They are removable but should stay in place at least until the conclusion of the traffic trial in March next year, when The Royal Parks decides on the extent to which through traffic is curtailed.

Following the conclusion of the Movement Strategy, The Royal Parks will begin installing courtesy crossings next to car parks, which are already busy pedestrian zones. We have yet to see the designs but we are hopeful they will have a cycle-friendly design and clear signage for pedestrians and cyclists.

PASS NOTES

How often do close passes occur in the park these days? With the numbers of cyclists coming to the park remaining high and traffic patterns returning to normal, there is good reason to suspect that the frequency of close passes is too much, especially for a recreational space. 

That’s why we are asking the park’s police team about the possibility of measuring the incidence of close passing. This would have to be carried out by a specialist unit, rather than the park’s officers. We will make this request at the next quarterly Police Panel meeting, which takes place on Wednesday July 14. Let us know if there are any other issues you would like to bring up.

As usual, the police will provide figures and details at the meeting regarding cycling-related incidents in the park during the past quarter-year. We’ll go through them in our next monthly bulletin. In the meantime, here is some information about a couple of incidents that took place recently.

• A driver collided with a cyclist at the entrance to the car park on Dark Hill on Tuesday, June 8. The cyclist only had minor grazes. The incident took place at around 6.50am, which is ten minutes before the park’s police unit came on duty. The local officer from Kingston who recorded the details mistakenly filed it as a restricted report, leading to a delay in the details being made public (and a false theory propagated by a deeply odd Twitter account that the police were “oblivious” to the collision). Many thanks to Sgt Sturgess from the park’s police unit for tracking down the details and successfully requesting that the report should not be restricted.

• On Wednesday afternoon, a driver crashed into a fence at the bottom of Dark Hill. He claimed that a group of cyclists coming in the opposite direction went for an overtake in his lane so he had to choose between taking them out or going into the fence. There were no witnesses or CCTV, and the other side of the story is not yet known. If more information on either incident comes to light at the Police Panel meeting, we will let you know.

TWO’S COMPANY

You wait years for a food and drink outlet on the eastern side of the park and then two come along almost at once.

The old police hut in front of the toilets at Kingston Gate has been turned into a mini-cafe run by Colicci which is scheduled to open this weekend for a temporary summer trial. Round the corner on Park Road, the site of the old Richmond Park Cafe and vegan cafe Tava appears to be under new management after lying vacant for two-and-a-half years. It’s called Fika, and is yet to open its doors. Both look like welcome additions if, like us, you usually exit the park at Kingston Gate and fancy scoffing or imbibing a cheeky reward for knocking out a few laps.

Meanwhile, over at Sheen Gate, The Royal Parks plans to open another food and drink outlet in the next few weeks. It’s like they’re trying to fatten us all up!

PADDLE DO NICELY

A quick word about the free credit-card-sized flyers featuring the cycling Code of Conduct which local businesses are stocking. A rowing club whose members cycle in the park has contacted us to get their hands on a batch, and we have offered to give some to them. So if you are part of a local organisation and you too would like a few cards to distribute, please drop us a line.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #41, June 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in June 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section – you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE…Traffic data gathering has begun +++ What are the aims of The Royal Parks’ trustees? +++ Code of Conduct cards available in two more local stores +++ E-scooters – time for TRP to rethink +++ A brief explainer of the 20mph limit

TUBE SERVICE

The collection of traffic data, which was the reason behind the decision to extend Richmond Park’s traffic trial for one year, has now begun. Tube counters – two black leads set about a foot apart – have been laid across the road by Ham Gate, Richmond Gate and Roehampton Gate by the surrounding borough councils. There are also counters on nearby roads in Richmond and Kingston.

Their purpose is to estimate how much traffic is being displaced from the park to the neighbouring roads as a result of the trial. At the same time, Transport for London is monitoring traffic movements on main roads near the park. TfL has data going back a considerable length of time, which should enable it to distinguish between historic traffic patterns, those related to the pandemic and those caused by the park’s trial.

Our aim, as long-time subscribers will know, is for The Royal Parks to exclude through motor traffic in the park. Traffic data will form part of that debate. TRP believes all the data from the boroughs will be shared on an open basis, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for when it appears and letting you know when it does.

OBJECTS LESSON

With the clock ticking on the extension of the park’s traffic trial, we are now turning our attention to the charitable objects that The Royal Parks’ trustees have to work towards and how they are seemingly at odds with allowing the park to be used as a shortcut for motorists.

The objects state that the trustees will “promote the use and enjoyment of the Royal Parks for public recreation, health and well-being, including through the provision of sporting [...] activities”. As the experience of lockdown showed, lower traffic levels increase the use of the roadway for recreation and exercise in the form of cycling, walking and running. But removing through traffic was not given as an option in the questions that formed the Movement Strategy’s final public survey.

TRP’s charitable status is underpinned by its objects. If the trustees believe they have other duties to the park which override the need to tackle through traffic, then we should know what they are.

CARD HOLDERS

Our thanks to Giant Twickenham and Sigma Sport who join Cycle Exchange, La Ciclista and Pearson on the list of local businesses who are stocking the credit-card-sized versions of the cycling Code of Conduct for their customers to pick up. And thank you to those on social media who were not quite as supportive as our subscribers have been – your comments did at least earn us more sign-ups than we usually get over the course of a month!

The full version of the Code, as we mentioned in last month’s bulletin, is in a newly-erected noticeboard near the Roehampton Gate car park. We’ll review the wording of the two-abreast section once the Government publishes its revised wording on Rule 66 of the Highway Code, which we discussed with Cycling UK, British Cycling and the Institute of Civil Engineers, and will look at updating the rest of the Code of Conduct at a later date based on the feedback we receive.

ELECTRIC FAULT

This Monday sees the start of Transport for London’s 12-month trial of electric scooters which will be available for hire, initially across six selected boroughs. Richmond upon Thames is one of them – but, curiously, Richmond Park will be out of bounds. The Royal Parks has refused permission as it believes e-scooters pose “an unacceptable risk to pedestrians” and “undermine the peace and ambience” of its green spaces. This is despite the three firms who are hiring out the scooters limiting them to a relatively sedate maximum speed of 12.5mph.

Of course, what really makes the park less pleasant than it should be is the high level of motor traffic. TRP will not immediately shut out motorists who use the park as a shortcut as it has already agreed to extend the duration of the trial restrictions in order to measure and analyse traffic data. But with this announcement, it has put itself in a questionable position. When the trial finishes in March next year, would TRP really choose to leave cars cutting through the park unimpeded, making many cyclists and pedestrians feel less safe, while keeping its ban on e-scooters, which are a far less polluting and less dangerous form of transport than motor vehicles?

This isn’t the first time that e-scooters have been sent packing from a royal park. More than two years ago, TRP turned down no fewer than eight scooter hire companies who wanted to run trials in Hyde Park. Mat Bonomi, TRP’s former Head of Transport, cited the idea of using scooters to traverse Hyde Park as one of many concepts that were attempting to reimagine the movement of people through cities. The Movement Strategy is intended to be TRP’s own vision, independent of outside influence, of how people move through its green spaces. 

Our view is that the two should not be mutually exclusive. The Movement Strategy can rebalance Richmond Park’s roads in favour of cycling and walking while also allowing this new, legal form of scooter travel. TRP should evaluate which parts of the park are safe for them to be in and use geofencing to keep them within those areas.

A blanket ban is not the answer – and as more people choose e-scooters for commuting as restrictions are lifted and they return to their workplaces, the pressure is surely on for a rethink.

COOP DE GRACE

What’s the difference between a chicken shed on wheels and a bicycle? The answer is probably not much, as far as the law is concerned.

Our cycling Code of Conduct, which states that cyclists should respect the 20mph speed limit in the park, has prompted a debate about its enforceability. Some wise legal heads have argued that it does not apply to cyclists. But there has never been a legal challenge on this basis, let alone a successful one – and until there is, the practical and sensible approach is to treat 20mph as the maximum. 

The theories recently put forward have been lingering on cycling websites and forums for many years. Some reason that as bicycles do not need to be fitted with a speedometer, speed limits do not apply. This contradicts the golden rule that ignorance of the law is no excuse – and other vehicles, such as motorbikes with an engine smaller than 100cc and first used before April 1984, also do not need speedos yet are still subject to speed limits. 

Others point to The Royal Parks’ advice that speed limits do not generally apply to cycling in its parks, and overlook its recommendation that cyclists “keep to appropriate speeds”. The Royal Parks police are clearer. They tell us: “We deem the appropriate speed to be the sign-posted speed limit.” This is 20mph on the outer roadway and 10mph on the Quietway through the centre of the park.

Then there is TRP’s regulation that “no person using a park shall drive or ride any vehicle on a park road in excess of the speed specified”. The regulations do not consistently define bicycles as vehicles, which leads some to the conclusion that the speed limit doesn’t apply to cyclists. This is where our mobile chicken home trundles into view. In case law, a poultry shed on wheels has been defined as a vehicle, as has a moveable stall with tyres. The police say: “It is therefore possible that a court may conclude that a bicycle is a vehicle and therefore the speed limit does apply.”

It is certainly true that the law and the park’s regulations could do with some clarity. But it is a general principle that the substance of the law should be followed where the form is unclear, particularly when there has been no specific legal challenge. And in this case, the big digits reading “20” and “10” that are painted on the park’s road are a fairly obvious indication of the maximum speeds the general public and police expect us to adhere to. (A less obvious indication are the small signposts dotted around the park, which feature a little graphic of a bicycle next to the 20mph limit. Slow down or you might not see them!)

One of the joys of riding in Richmond Park is that the roadway is unencumbered by some of the more extreme forms of traffic calming measures. If The Royal Parks came under pressure to deal with the minority of cyclists who speed, then that might change. The simplest way to avoid greater traffic calming in the future, or legislation specifically targeting cyclists’ speed, is to follow the advice of the Code and keep within the 20mph limit.

It’s a fairly simple rule which helps make the roads a bit more hospitable for less confident or inexperienced cyclists. So let’s all keep up the good work and set an example of riding well to others. 

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists

RPC Bulletin #40, May 2021

Each month, we email a bulletin to everyone who has signed up on this site. Below is the mailout that we sent in May 2021. If you like it, please sign up on our Get Involved section - you will be showing your support for our work and you will receive our free monthly bulletins a month before they appear here.

IN THIS ISSUE…

Code of Conduct – physical copies are out now +++ An analysis of road incidents in the park +++ Collision outside Roehampton Gate car park +++ Farewell to The Royal Parks’ transport boss

CODE AND GET IT

It’s out, chums! After months of being confined to our website and this bulletin, the Code of Conduct for cycling in Richmond Park has finally been set free in the wild. 

The full text is pinned on our new noticeboard near the Roehampton Gate car park (you’ll find it on the pathway opposite the ramp up to Colicci) while our friends at Cycle Exchange, Ciclista and Pearsons all have the credit-card-sized version on their countertops for customers to take. The park’s police unit also has a batch of cards to hand out. 
Many thanks to all our subscribers who have contributed to the Code and support its aims to make the roadway a more hospitable place for every type of cyclist and visitor to the park – we couldn’t have got this far without you!

DANGER OF ASSUMPTIONS

It’s a common assumption in some quarters that more cycling in the park leads to greater danger for other visitors – but the latest quarterly figures revealed at the Police Panel meeting we attended two weeks ago suggest that is an exaggerated claim. During a period when the roadway has been much busier than it was pre-Covid, there were only 15 reported incidents from January to March, and nine of those were simply cyclists falling off their bikes, either due to an error on their part or, on two occasions, animals appearing in the road (for the record, one was a dog and the other was a goose). 

It’s true that four incidents involving cyclists, all of which are currently under investigation, were more serious. As we reported in February, the danger of leaving the park open to through traffic was highlighted when a motorist caused a collision with a female cyclist at Ham Cross before mistakenly hitting the accelerator and smashing into a tree. Then, in March, a driver pushed a member of the public for filming them losing their rag with a couple of cyclists who had been riding two abreast. And later that month, a motorist going down Sawyer’s Hill had to brake suddenly, causing a cyclist to hit the back of the car and suffer concussion, after an oncoming vehicle moved out to overtake. Additionally, in January, a driver pulled an off-duty police officer from their bike, causing minor damage to the bicycle, after he spoke to him about driving carelessly.

There was also an incident in January where a driver and a cyclist had a verbal confrontation in which, the police report states, “one party is alleged to push the other”. Neither of them wished for any action to be taken.

But with cyclists covering tens of thousands of miles in the park during that three-month period, all of these incidents are few and far between. As for the notion that pedestrians face risks getting from one side of the road to the other, there was only one collision on a crossing – and it was a car that hit them, resulting in a dislocated shoulder. 

CROSS PURPOSES

Some of you who ride in the park on weekdays may have seen two ambulances parked on the road outside the Roehampton Gate car park three weeks ago. They were called out after a cyclist unfortunately hit a 12-year-old girl.

The rider’s partner who came to pick him up afterwards tells us that he had slowed down for a car pulling out and was travelling at around 15mph. A man stepped out into the road followed by a friend’s three children who he was looking after. The rider shouted and all stopped, except the girl, and the collision occurred. We understand the girl was taken to hospital for stitches, and the cyclist had minor abrasions. The man looking after the children was apparently very apologetic and wanted to know how the rider was.

While pedestrians have priority on the park’s roads, this incident shows that a sense of shared space must be created around the car parks to allow for easier crossing. In our response to the final consultation on the Movement Strategy, we called for such measures to be implemented in various areas across the park. 

On the subject of pedestrian safety, we should correct a claim we made in our last bulletin – that “no accidents in recent memory have been reported that have resulted in the hospitalisation of a pedestrian after a collision with a cyclist”. It seems we misheard what Sgt Peter Sturgess told a previous meeting. He points out there were, in fact, two incidents in the park last year where a cyclist colliding with a person on foot resulted in hospitalisation (one with a pedestrian, the other with a jogger) and a further two incidents in the past nine months where a pedestrian was injured by a cyclist but did not go to hospital. We’re happy to set the record straight, sergeant!

MAT’S IT

Finally, we would like to wish a fond farewell and the best of luck to Mat Bonomi, who left his post at The Royal Parks a couple of weeks ago to begin work on implementing transport schemes over in Tower Hamlets. We’ll miss you, buddy!

Mat relocated from Australia to join TRP as its Head of Transport and Access and ushered in the Movement Strategy which has brought lots of ordinary people to Richmond Park on bikes, many for the first time. His willingness to speak to us and encouragement of our work has helped to strengthen our relationship with TRP. 

The next step in the Movement Strategy process that Mat’s successors are likely to implement is a measurement of traffic levels in and around the park. The aim should be to find out how traffic patterns have been affected by the year-long extension to the trial, and how much is Covid-related as more people avoid public transport and use their cars instead. We look forward to seeing the results and continuing our ongoing dialogue with TRP.

SEE YOU NEXT MONTH...

As ever, thank you for allowing us to pop into your inbox, and let us know what you think about anything related to cycling in Richmond Park – we reply personally to every email you send us. If you enjoyed this bulletin, please share it with your cycling friends – and if they like what they read, encourage them to sign up to our mailing list too. The more subscribers we have, the bigger our voice.

All the best,

Richmond Park Cyclists